Fact check: Politico op-ed gets it wrong on wind costs

The Washington, DC, publication Politico carried an opinion article today questioning the cost of wind power. The following was posted as a comment.

This story needs a price check. As far as wind power is concerned, prices are falling quicker than a blue light special on December 26th.

Years of technological innovations and an influx of American-based manufacturing have driven down the cost of wind energy. Including incentives, which all forms of energy get, wind is now close to cost-competitive with all other energy sources.

– Xcel Energy, a large utility which operates many coal-fired power plants, recently issued a press release announcing a new wind energy purchase. Entitled “Xcel Energy seeks more low-cost wind energy,” it says in part, “'This proposed purchase contains the lowest-cost wind energy we’ve seen, making it competitive with other energy sources,' said David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company. 'Even though Xcel Energy is ahead of schedule to meet Colorado’s 30 percent renewable energy standard by 2020, we can take advantage of historically low wind prices to give our customers more choice in the energy powering their home and businesses.'” So, here is an investor-owned utility that operates coal plants saying (1) wind energy is competitive and (2) it is able to meet a 30 percent renewable energy standard and still buy even more wind.

This was originally posted on Huffington Post on Sept. 10, 2014. To read the whole blog please visit Huffington Post. If we assume that human civilization will continue for at least another 1000 years, then we will eventually arrive at a 100 percent renewable energy system. Whatever you believe about the existing...

This op-ed was originally published on September 10 in The Hill by AWEA's Director of Research, Michael Goggin. Harvesting homegrown wind power improves our energy security and reliability by diversifying our energy mix and keeping energy costs low for consumers. For Americans to continue reaping these benefits, however, Congress must extend the...